Work

A psychologically wise intervention to inform relational organizing in the face of climate and ocean change

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Widespread climate action is broadly recognized as necessary to reduce climate change impacts on oceans (“ocean change”), but threats to ocean ecosystems are commonly perceived as distant, irrelevant, and unchangeable. Communicating about ocean change, therefore, requires message framing strategies targeting evidence-based psychological precursors to behavior. In a pre-registered case study of coastal visitors in Oregon, United States (n = 2414), we tested the influence of psychologically wise message about ocean change on climate action intentions. We primarily focused on influencing relational organizing: people’s willingness to encourage others to act. A behavior-specific message targeting relational organizing efficacy beliefs significantly but weakly increased intentions for relational organizing regarding ocean change compared to a control. Neither a connectedness to coast (place-based) message nor an ocean acidification (proximate threat-based) message had detectable effects on intentions. Our results suggest that targeting relational organizing efficacy may increase climate action intentions for the protection of coastal ecosystems.

Source: npj Ocean Sustainability

DOI: 10.1038/s44183-025-00115-8

Authors: Jennifer L. Waldo, Thomas C. Swearingen, Megan S. Jones

Institutions: Oregon State University, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, United States Geological Survey

Language: English

Topic: Climate Change Communication and Perception

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Climate action, Life below water

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,090